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HESI Specialty Exam Bank: Suicide Risk
Assessment and Safety Planning
Strategies
Table of Contents
Subtopic 1: Identifying Suicide Risk Factors and Warning Signs ........................................ 2
Subtopic 2: Suicide Risk Screening Tools and Their Clinical Application .......................... 10
Subtopic 3: Immediate Nursing Interventions for Patients at Risk of Suicide .................... 19
Subtopic 4: Legal, Ethical, and Documentation Aspects in Suicide Risk Management ...... 28
Subtopic 5: Suicide in Special Populations—Elderly, LGBTQ+, Military, Incarcerated ........ 36
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Subtopic 1: Identifying Suicide Risk Factors and Warning
Signs
Question 1:
Which of the following is considered a static risk factor for suicide?
A. Access to firearms
B. Previous suicide attempt
C. Current feelings of hopelessness
D. Recent relationship breakup
Correct Answer: B. Previous suicide attempt
Rationale: Static risk factors are historical and unchangeable, such as a prior suicide
attempt. Dynamic risk factors, like hopelessness or access to means, can fluctuate and
are targets for intervention.
Question 2:
Which behavior is considered a direct verbal warning sign of suicide?
A. Giving away possessions
B. Isolating from friends and family
C. Writing a will
D. Saying, “I want to die.”
Correct Answer: D. Saying, “I want to die.”
Rationale: Direct statements about wanting to die are explicit verbal cues that a person is
considering suicide, and they require immediate attention.
Question 3:
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Among the following individuals, who is at the highest statistical risk for suicide
completion?
A. 17-year-old female with depression
B. 23-year-old male with schizophrenia
C. 78-year-old male with chronic illness and depression
D. 35-year-old female with substance use history
Correct Answer: C. 78-year-old male with chronic illness and depression
Rationale: Older adult males, particularly those with medical issues and depression, have
the highest suicide completion rates due to lethality and social isolation.
Question 4:
What is a key psychological factor linked to increased suicide risk?
A. Obsessive-compulsive behaviors
B. Hallucinations
C. Hopelessness
D. Insomnia
Correct Answer: C. Hopelessness
Rationale: Hopelessness has consistently been shown to be a strong predictor of suicidal
ideation and behavior across all populations.
Question 5:
Which statement reflects a protective factor against suicide?
A. History of trauma
B. Alcohol abuse
C. Strong family and social support
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D. Presence of anxiety
Correct Answer: C. Strong family and social support
Rationale: Protective factors, such as social connection, reduce the likelihood of suicidal
behavior by providing emotional and practical support.
Question 6:
Which profession has been identified as having a higher-than-average suicide risk?
A. Physicians
B. Teachers
C. Accountants
D. Lawyers
Correct Answer: A. Physicians
Rationale: Physicians, especially female physicians, have higher suicide rates due to
factors like access to lethal means, burnout, and stigma around seeking mental health
care.
Question 7:
Which is a risk factor unique to adolescents related to suicide?
A. Terminal illness
B. Bullying and cyberbullying
C. Unemployment
D. Bereavement
Correct Answer: B. Bullying and cyberbullying
HESI Specialty Exam Bank: Suicide Risk
Assessment and Safety Planning
Strategies
Table of Contents
Subtopic 1: Identifying Suicide Risk Factors and Warning Signs ........................................ 2
Subtopic 2: Suicide Risk Screening Tools and Their Clinical Application .......................... 10
Subtopic 3: Immediate Nursing Interventions for Patients at Risk of Suicide .................... 19
Subtopic 4: Legal, Ethical, and Documentation Aspects in Suicide Risk Management ...... 28
Subtopic 5: Suicide in Special Populations—Elderly, LGBTQ+, Military, Incarcerated ........ 36
, 2
Subtopic 1: Identifying Suicide Risk Factors and Warning
Signs
Question 1:
Which of the following is considered a static risk factor for suicide?
A. Access to firearms
B. Previous suicide attempt
C. Current feelings of hopelessness
D. Recent relationship breakup
Correct Answer: B. Previous suicide attempt
Rationale: Static risk factors are historical and unchangeable, such as a prior suicide
attempt. Dynamic risk factors, like hopelessness or access to means, can fluctuate and
are targets for intervention.
Question 2:
Which behavior is considered a direct verbal warning sign of suicide?
A. Giving away possessions
B. Isolating from friends and family
C. Writing a will
D. Saying, “I want to die.”
Correct Answer: D. Saying, “I want to die.”
Rationale: Direct statements about wanting to die are explicit verbal cues that a person is
considering suicide, and they require immediate attention.
Question 3:
, 3
Among the following individuals, who is at the highest statistical risk for suicide
completion?
A. 17-year-old female with depression
B. 23-year-old male with schizophrenia
C. 78-year-old male with chronic illness and depression
D. 35-year-old female with substance use history
Correct Answer: C. 78-year-old male with chronic illness and depression
Rationale: Older adult males, particularly those with medical issues and depression, have
the highest suicide completion rates due to lethality and social isolation.
Question 4:
What is a key psychological factor linked to increased suicide risk?
A. Obsessive-compulsive behaviors
B. Hallucinations
C. Hopelessness
D. Insomnia
Correct Answer: C. Hopelessness
Rationale: Hopelessness has consistently been shown to be a strong predictor of suicidal
ideation and behavior across all populations.
Question 5:
Which statement reflects a protective factor against suicide?
A. History of trauma
B. Alcohol abuse
C. Strong family and social support
, 4
D. Presence of anxiety
Correct Answer: C. Strong family and social support
Rationale: Protective factors, such as social connection, reduce the likelihood of suicidal
behavior by providing emotional and practical support.
Question 6:
Which profession has been identified as having a higher-than-average suicide risk?
A. Physicians
B. Teachers
C. Accountants
D. Lawyers
Correct Answer: A. Physicians
Rationale: Physicians, especially female physicians, have higher suicide rates due to
factors like access to lethal means, burnout, and stigma around seeking mental health
care.
Question 7:
Which is a risk factor unique to adolescents related to suicide?
A. Terminal illness
B. Bullying and cyberbullying
C. Unemployment
D. Bereavement
Correct Answer: B. Bullying and cyberbullying
